This invention is directed to a container useful for storing and dispensing biological specimens including blood specimens, cultures, vaccines, animal semen, and the like. Such specimens are frequently sealed in glass ampules, plastic ampules, glass tubes, or plastic tubes (plastic straws), and the like. The ampules, or tubes, or straws containing such specimens are immersed in a refrigerant such as liquid nirogen and are removed from the refrigerant as needed.
The container of this invention is well adapted for holding or containing such ampules, or tubes, or straws when they (the ampules, tubes, or straws) are immersed in the refrigerant and for dispersing one or more such ampules, tubes, or straws when the content thereof is needed.
The container of this invention is especially useful for storing and dispersing straws containing semen for breeding cattle.
Extensive field tests led to the introduction in the early 1950's of commercial techniques which have shown that semen, properly collected and frozen, can be stored for long periods and distributed economically in the frozen state. Economics and advantages in the distribution of frozen semen are such that most of the artificial breeding of dairy cattle in the United States has been converted to this technique. Generally, the procedure involves collecting the semen, packaging it in a suitable container, such as an ampule or a slender plastic straw measuring about five inches in length, and storing the package in a suitable refrigerating apparatus maintained at a temperature of about -320.degree.F by means of liquid nitrogen.
Recently, the straw has gained favor as the most desirable container for use in the artificial breeding system. The straw containing the semen carries such information as the name of the sire, registration number, code number, batch identification, and any other information that may be desired.
Prior art containers are taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,716,133 (206/65 A, Koebler) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,104 (211/60, Peterson).
U.S. Pat. No. 3,187,937 (220/94, Berta) describes a canister which can be used to suspend the container of this invention in a liquid refrigerant such as liquid nitrogen.